Author: Jane Lyons

CSG Testimony on MD 355 and Veirs Mill BRT advancing to preliminary engineering

Posted on by Jane Lyons

July 16, 2019

Re: Supplemental appropriation and amendment to FY20 Capital Budget and FY19-24 CIP – $3,000,000 for Bus Rapid Transit: MD 355 (Support), and Supplemental appropriation and amendment to FY20 Capital Budget and FY19-24 CIP – $1,000,000 for Bus Rapid Transit: Veirs Mill Corridor (Support)

By Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager

 

President Navarro and Councilmembers, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I am here on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities. We support a robust bus rapid transit system on MD 355 and in the Veirs Mill corridor.

For MD 355, we urge the Council to recommend Alternative B, dedicated median BRT lanes, and to incorporate Alternative C, dedicated curb BRT lanes, in the southernmost segment in Bethesda. Median bus lanes are the gold standard for BRT, producing the highest ridership, frequency, and reliability. These are the characteristics that will make BRT a choice mode for current transit riders and attract new riders.

Given the high ridership projections, economic development potential, and the long-standing support from community groups and business leaders, we believe that Segment 2 (White Flint/Twinbrook) should be included in the first construction phase, followed quickly by the segments north of Shady Grove. Prioritizing White Flint and Twinbrook will serve the most riders, as well as help spur anticipated investment and business development greatly needed by the county that will not occur without significant transit upgrades.

However, Alternative B does not offer dedicated BRT lanes south of Tuckerman Lane to the Bethesda Metro station (Segment 1). We prefer all-day dedicated curb lanes in both directions for this section but would accept the Alternative C recommendation for a peak direction only lane – as an initial phase. High-quality bus transit access to the job centers located along this corridor is critical. Any segment with dedicated curb lanes will require regular enforcement to ensure that cars do not use the lanes and slow down BRT service.

Regarding the alignment of northernmost segment through Clarksburg, we recommend the Snowden Farm Parkway alignment since it is the only option that does not require a road extension or widening, has the most potential for transit-oriented development, and is the only option that offers access to a grocery store.

In addition to favoring median BRT lanes, we strongly encourage and prefer the conversion of existing travel lanes to BRT to save time and right-of way-acquisition costs. We also concur with the Planning Board recommendation to initiate further service planning and network redesign for effective integration of BRT and local service. Effectively integrating BRT with local service will help to maximize ridership, accessibility, and affordability.

The county should also plan for improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure near BRT stations. Pending construction of the BRT, the county must continue to invest in streetscape enhancements, off-peak street parking, safer pedestrian crossings, and sidewalk and bikeway improvements along MD 355. These are urgent and necessary in order to meet mobility, Vision Zero, emission reduction, and economic development goals.

Finally, we strongly urge that preliminary engineering advance concurrently for both the entire Veirs Mill BRT project and MD 355 BRT. The Veirs Mill corridor has the highest ridership of any bus route in the state of Maryland, and current transit service does not meet the high demand. There is an equity and social mobility issue at stake – nearly 10 percent of the corridor lives below the poverty line, 22 percent do not speak English proficiently, and half of households have one or fewer cars. Veirs Mill BRT is an important step towards bridging the east-west economic divide, and should not be delayed any longer.

In fact, given the urgency to change course and fight climate change, the county and state should place both the entire 355 and Veirs Mill BRT projects on a fast track.

Thank you for your time.

CSG in the News: Why local affordable housing orgs want to expand accessory apartments in Montgomery County

Posted on by Jane Lyons

Why local affordable housing orgs want to expand accessory apartments in Montgomery County

By John Paukstis, Jane Lyons, Greater Greater Washington

Like much of the United States, Montgomery County is facing a critical housing shortage. Finding healthy, affordable housing near jobs and transit is extremely difficult for many people at varying income levels.

Earlier this year, Councilmember Hans Riemer introduced Zoning Text Amendment 19-01, which is aimed at making it easier for county homeowners to build accessory apartments (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs) on their properties. Accessory apartments are separate apartments either within, attached to, or detached from a main unit—think English basements, garage apartments, and small backyard cottages.

Accessory apartments allow homeowners to flexibly use their largest asset, their home, as their family’s needs change. Accessory apartments also provide important economic, social, and environmental benefits including:

  • Providing critical rental revenue to a senior living on fixed income and looking to age in place
  • Utilizing existing infrastructure to provide additional housing without increasing sprawl
  • Increasing housing opportunities around transit, near jobs, and in desirable communities
  • Providing opportunities for multigenerational living while maintaining independence for all parties
  • Habitat for Humanity could build accessory apartments for low- to moderate-income residents or for adults with disabilities

Importantly, accessory apartments provide opportunities for families who cannot afford to buy a home, to access housing in areas of the county which are generally inaccessible to them otherwise. Much of Montgomery County is zoned for single family, detached homes. With an average home value of $450,000, many potential homebuyers are priced out of the market and unable to save a down payment due to the high cost of rent and living.

Accessory apartments offer an opportunity to expand housing options in highly desired neighborhoods, helping make our communities more diverse, no matter socioeconomic status, race, or ethnic identity. While we cannot guarantee that accessory apartments will be rented at or below market, studies from areas with large numbers of accessory apartments show that many units are rented below market rate and are affordable to families with modest incomes.

Moreover, accessory apartment size restrictions will limit the amount of rent that can be charged. Either way, renting an accessory apartment is more accessible to families than buying a home in the same neighborhood.

We believe that ZTA 19-01, with amendments unanimously approved by the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development committee, balances the desire of homeowners to build accessory apartments with concerns from the community around short-term rentals, parking, and storm water management.

  • Short-term rentals, including Airbnb, are explicitly prohibited and homeowners are required to live in either the main unit or the accessory apartment. Both units cannot be rented at once.
  • The amendments recommend waiving the additional parking requirement within one mile of a metro station. That said, additional off street parking is still required outside of the one mile metro radius at the same level as is currently required.
  • Under the ZTA, detached accessory apartments continue to be treated as accessory structures and must comply with the same lot coverage ratios deemed acceptable, in terms of storm water management, for a garage or shed.

The expansion of accessory apartments will not solve the affordable housing crisis, but we believe it is a critical tool in providing increased housing opportunities in desirable neighborhoods. That’s why the Montgomery Housing Alliance Action in Montgomery, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, Housing Opportunities Commission, Interfaith Works, Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Montgomery Housing Partnership, Rebuilding Together, and Victory Housing all strongly encourage residents and councilmembers to support ZTA 19-01.

Join Habitat for Humanity and the Coalition for Smarter Growth to voice your support for accessory apartments in Montgomery County!

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You can read the full Greater Greater Washington post here.

CSG Testimony in Support of Changes to Montgomery County’s Subdivision Staging Policy

Posted on by Jane Lyons

June 11, 2019

Re: Resolution to Amend the 2016-2020 Subdivision Staging Policy (Support)

By Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager

 

President Navarro and Councilmembers, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I am here on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the leading organization in the D.C. region advocating for walkable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities. We support current efforts to lessen the negative impacts of the Subdivision Staging Policy’s (SPP) housing moratorium and echo the need for affordable housing. However, we ultimately urge the Council to replace the moratorium with policies that better address the County’s school construction, housing, and economic development needs.

The 2016 SSP projected that the county would grow by over 200,000 residents between then and 2045, with 14 percent of land absorbing 82 percent of new jobs, 76 percent of new households, and 73 percent of population growth. Preventing new housing, especially mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented, and affordable housing in efficient locations close with good transit, stifles the county’s ability to meet the housing needs of current and future residents, as well as to grow the local economy and maintain the county’s fiscal health. We can have a county that has both good housing and good schools for all of our residents.

Further, new medium to higher density development has not been a major contributor to student generation. Single-family homes countywide generate almost double the number of students that multi-family homes generate, and single-family home turnover is the primary factor driving school population increases. Finally, school impact taxes paid by new development provide more than the total cost for each projected generated student. Medium to higher density development also provides significant property tax revenue. It does not make sense to punish new development that the county needs for impacts it does not cause.

For these reasons, we ask the Council go further to address the harm that the moratorium brings. Today’s resolution is an important first step to mitigating the harmful impact of the moratorium on affordable housing supply. However, the stringent requirements of the resolution are likely to help just one current housing proposal, the transit-oriented 850 Sligo Apartments in Silver Spring. Other important transit-oriented new housing developments, like Strathmore Square, are left in moratorium for at least another year, limiting the number of units that are being approved at this time. We’ve also heard that the uncertainty and potential limitation on buildout caused by the moratorium can put the private financing of projects like Strathmore Square at risk.

There are many alternatives to the moratorium for the Council to consider, including:

  • Reinstating school facility payments in overcrowded clusters, while maintaining the current school impact tax. This would allow development to continue, but impose a slightly higher cost to do so. As clusters and individual schools became more overcrowded, the county could require a corresponding increase in school facility payments.
  • Aligning the timelines of the CIP and annual school test. While the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) includes projects six years into the future, the annual school test in the SSP only looks at the next five years. This means that even if there is a project in the sixth year of the CIP that would remedy overcrowding, that school or individual cluster could still go into moratorium. To address this, the annual school test should consider projections six years into the future.
  • Taxing teardowns more substantially. Teardowns do not currently pay impact fees, even though they are new construction and new families moving in can be expected to generate new students. This might also reduce the “mansionization” of our communities, which turns formerly modestly-sized homes into much larger homes, housing a similar household size.
  • Exempting Metro Station Policy Areas from the annual school test. Building more homes, especially affordable homes, near transit is necessary for a sustainable future. We cannot afford to miss out on opportunities to grow in a more walkable way. Businesses and residents are looking to locate in more transit-oriented communities.
  • Redistricting school boundaries. Although education policy is not our specialty, we encourage those who are experts to make more substantive recommendations on this topic. Redistricting has the potential to relieve overcrowding, as well as further goals of socioeconomic and racial integration.
  • Reviewing school design standards. If schools are designed to occupy a smaller footprint by being three stories instead of one, or integrated into mixed-use development, and if playing fields can be shared with recreational centers and parks, then it might be easier to find sites for new schools.
  • Pushing forward the 2020 SSP effective date to June 2020. The current timeline for the SSP update is November 2020, well after the next annual school test in July 2020. Changes should be made to the SSP by June 2020 to avoid another year of moratorium restricting the housing supply and economic development.

These are our suggestions to consider, but we strongly urge the Planning Department to offer other alternatives to the housing moratorium policy. Montgomery County can have great schools, plentiful housing, and a strong economy, but we must have policies that support that future. We look forward to being a part of these conversations throughout the 2020 SSP process. For now, this resolution is a first step.

Thank you for your time.

 

The Fund It Fix It coalition of 22 non-profit organizations hailed the announcement today of the Metro Safety and Accountability Act of 2019 by the region’s Senate delegation

Posted on by Jane Lyons

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 23, 2019

Contact: Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, CSG, 703-599-6437

Josh Tulkin, Director, Sierra Club – Maryland, 240-764-5307 (o), 650-722-3171 (c)

Fund it Fix it!

The Fund it Fix it coalition of 22 non-profit organizations hailed the announcement today of the Metro Safety and Accountability Act of 2019 by the region’s Senate delegation

The members of the Fund It Fix It non-profit coalition applauded the federal Metro funding bill announced today by Senators Warner, Kaine, Cardin and Van Hollen. The legislation would reauthorize federal (“PRIIA”) funding for an additional 10 years, FY 2020 – FY 2029, at an annual level of $150 million, and include an additional $50 million per year in federal funding that is not subject to local match, but requires specific safety, oversight and governance measures.

The $150 million matches $50 million each from DC, Maryland and Virginia. The additional $50 million would include $45 million for financing capital and preventative maintenance projects and $5 million for the Inspector General, contingent on nonfederal match of $5 million, for total of $10 million.

“In 2017 and 2018, the Fund it Fix it coalition campaigned hard, and teamed with the business community (MetroNow) and other stakeholders, including labor, to win the $500 million in dedicated funding for WMATA, and we will be urging Congress to approve the critical federal contribution to restoring our Metro system to world-class status,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. 

“Metro is the critical transportation backbone for the region’s economy and the federal workforce. The PRIIA investment not only leverages billions in state and local funding, it leverages economic development, accessibility to jobs, and environmental sustainability more than any other investment the federal government could make in this region,” said Schwartz.

“We have just 10 years to make major cuts in our greenhouse gas emissions so investing in high-capacity transit that supports compact walkable development must be the top transportation priority of our federal government,” said Josh Tulkin, Director, Sierra Club – Maryland. “We applaud this dedicated federal funding and urge Congress to make transit funding the top priority of the nation’s entire transportation program.”

The Fund it Fix it coalition will be reaching out to partners across the country to urge their support for this federal funding for WMATA.

“Metro has long been known as the ‘nation’s subway’ and one that Americans from across the country take pride in,” said Schwartz. “We are proud to be part of this nonprofit coalition and are committed to winning the funding WMATA needs.”

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The Fund It Fix It coalition includes 22 non-profit groups working in Virginia, DC, and Maryland for dedicated funding for Metro: Coalition for Smarter Growth, League of Women Voters chapters, Sierra Club state chapters and local groups, Action Committee for Transit, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, Virginia Conservation Network, Piedmont Environmental Council, Clean Water Action, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, Friends of White Flint, Smart Growth Maryland, Maryland Center on Economic Policy, Southern Environmental Law Center, and Greater Greater Washington.

CSG Supports Casey Anderson’s Reappointment as Chair of Montgomery County Planning Board

Posted on by Jane Lyons

January 30, 2019

Re: Support for reappointment of Casey Anderson as Chair of the Planning Board

Dear President Navarro and Councilmembers:

The Coalition for Smarter Growth has committed to supporting sustainable and equitable development, housing, and transportation in Montgomery County, funding a dedicated staff-person to work in the community for the past seven years. We are excited by the opportunities ahead for Montgomery County under your leadership, but we also recognize that the county faces significant challenges in economic development and access to jobs, housing supply and affordability, and affordable and accessible transportation. For these reasons, we strongly support the reappointment of Casey Anderson as Chair of the Planning Board.

The reappointment of Casey would provide important continuity of leadership at the Planning Board at a time when the county needs to ensure plans are in place that can ensure the county’s economic development and competitiveness, and equitable access to opportunity. Based on recent experience, mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable, transit-oriented development (TOD) is essential for ensuring the county’s economic competitiveness and growth in the commercial tax base, and Casey has done much to advance TOD in the county in partnership with the Council.

Marriott’s move from Rock Spring to Bethesda is a testament to the value they see in TOD. Similarly, Amazon’s selection of a TOD location at Crystal City/Pentagon City, Choice Hotel’s location in Rockville, Nestle’s in Rosslyn, demonstrates the need to accelerate TOD in Montgomery County in order to attract and retain major companies. When combined with strong MPDU policies, and additional transit investments, TOD – both at the Bethesda/Silver Spring scale and at medium density scale — can improve access to jobs by transit, reduce combined housing and transportation costs, and grow the economy without increasing overall traffic.

Among his important initiatives, Casey shepherded through the new Subdivision Staging Policy which incentivizes and prioritizes TOD, transit, biking and walking; the award-winning Bicycle Master Plan; and the complex Bethesda Master Plan, including the establishment of market-oriented system for allocating development capacity and park impact payments to raise funds for open space. It is for these reasons that we awarded Casey Anderson our 2017 Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award.

Casey Anderson has led the Planning Board and its heavy workload with great skill – listening, and running the agenda and discussions smoothly and without acrimony. He knows how the agency works, knows the staff, and knows the government process. With the impending Countywide Master Plan update, Mr. Anderson provides the critical experience and record of success necessary to ensure the plan update goes smoothly and is developed in a timely manner. Developing a new Master Plan and continuing to advance TOD projects and other mixed-use development, along with developing innovative approaches to provide a range of housing types affordable to all levels of the workforce, are critical to the future of the county and its people.

For all of the reasons enumerated here, Casey Anderson has earned our strong endorsement for reappointment as Chair of the Planning Board.

Thank you,

Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director

CSG Supports Partap Verma for Montgomery County Planning Board

Posted on by Jane Lyons

May 20, 2019

Re: Support for appointment of Partap Verma to the Planning Board

Dear President Navarro and Councilmembers:

The Coalition for Smarter Growth is committed to supporting sustainable and equitable development, housing, and transportation in Montgomery County. We are excited by the opportunities ahead for the county, but we also recognize the significant challenges in economic development and access to jobs, housing supply and affordability, and affordable and accessible transportation. To meet these challenges, the Planning Board must continue to prioritize inclusive, transit-oriented growth. For that reason, we strongly support the appointment of Partap Verma to the Planning Board.

Partap has the issue area expertise and passion to be an effective member of the Planning Board. He is a proven local leader on affordable housing, pedestrian safety, and transit access. He has promoted civic engagement among his neighbors in Forest Glen, leading community planning and advocacy efforts. He has hosted successful dialogues and events, helped to found civic organizations, advocated for transit infrastructure, held a chair position on the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board, and volunteered as a mediator/panel attorney for HOA disputes.

From these experiences, Partap has shown an impressive ability to connect with and listen to the needs of Montgomery County residents, an invaluable trait for a member of the Planning Board in an increasingly diverse county. He is an advocate for the needs of underserved and marginalized communities, and provides a voice for Montgomery’s growing foreign-born/first-generation and LGBTQIA+ communities. As a dedicated federal employee and husband of a U.S. Army veteran, he also understands the importance of public service.

Looking forward, Partap will be able to provide a critical voice during upcoming and important conversations about the way Montgomery County will grow, including updates to the Subdivision Staging Policy and the Countywide Master Plan. His vision will help create the mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented places that the county needs in order to further equity, environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness, and growth in the commercial tax base.

For the many reasons enumerated above, Partap Verma has earned our strong endorsement for appointment to the Planning Board.

Thank you,

Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director

Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager